Drone Pilot
- Schedule: Mon-Thurs 7am-4:30pm plus rotating Fridays 7am-3:30pm
- Location: Port Orange, FL 32128
- Duration: Temporary 5 months with potential to extend or convert
- Salary: $25/hour (based on experience)
Build what's next in simulator manufacturing
If you re passionate about precision, enjoy working with your hands, and take pride in building complex systems, this opportunity is for you. We re seeking an experienced Drone Test Pilots who will be responsible for conducting flight testing, functional validation, and operational evaluation of Class 1 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in support of production, quality, engineering, and customer requirements. This position operates and evaluates multiple UAS platforms of varying sizes and configurations, with a strong emphasis on First Person View (FPV) flight operations.
The UAS Test Pilot works closely with production, engineering, quality, and other technical personnel to verify aircraft performance, identify deficiencies, troubleshoot flight-related issues, and ensure UAS platforms meet established performance and quality requirements prior to acceptance or delivery.
This position requires extensive hands-on FPV flight experience and the ability to safely and consistently operate UAS platforms in an outdoor flight-test environment. Prior U.S. Military UAS experience, either as a Warfighter/operator or as a contractor supporting military UAS programs, is strongly preferred.
What You ll Be Doing:
- Conduct production and functional flight testing of Class 1 UAS platforms of various sizes and configurations.
- Perform FPV flight operations to validate aircraft functionality, performance, handling characteristics, and overall flight readiness.
- Execute established flight profiles, test procedures, work instructions, and acceptance criteria.
- Conduct pre-flight and post-flight inspections of aircraft, controllers, batteries, payloads, and associated equipment.
- Verify aircraft setup, controller binding, configuration, communications, video systems, and flight-control functionality prior to flight.
- Evaluate aircraft stability, responsiveness, propulsion performance, control, video feed, communications, and other flight characteristics.
- Identify abnormal flight characteristics, component failures, configuration issues, or other deficiencies discovered during testing.
- Accurately document flight-test results, failures, discrepancies, and other required production or quality information.
- Communicate flight test findings and technical issues to production, quality, engineering, and other appropriate personnel.
- Assist with troubleshooting UAS platforms that fail production or flight testing.
- Support re-testing and verification of aircraft following repair, adjustment, or corrective action.
- Maintain accountability and proper handling of aircraft, batteries, controllers, FPV equipment, tools, and test equipment.
- Follow established flight safety procedures, operating boundaries, test-range requirements, and applicable FAA regulations.
- Maintain situational awareness of aircraft, personnel, obstacles, environmental conditions, and other flight operations.
- Support high-volume production operations requiring the testing of multiple aircraft throughout the workday.
- Support developmental testing, operational evaluations, customer demonstrations, and other UAS flight activities as required.
- Maintain required FAA certification and recurrent training requirements necessary to perform assigned UAS flight operations.
- Additional duties may be assigned as necessary.
What You ll Bring:
- High School Diploma or equivalent required.
- Valid FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification required, with ability to maintain the certification. Must maintain a valid certification complete with all recurrent training or other FAA requirements necessary
- Candidates must be U.S. Persons as defined in the ITAR, 22 CFR 120.15 (U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien Status) and as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) (20).
- Eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance, if required.
- Extensive hands-on FPV UAS flight experience and proficiency safely operating FPV UAS using manual flight controls.
- Experience operating and testing Class 1 UAS platforms of varying sizes and configurations.
- Working knowledge of UAS components and systems, including flight controllers, motors, ESCs, propellers, batteries, radio systems, antennas, controllers, and FPV/video systems.
- Ability to recognize abnormal aircraft behavior, flight characteristics, or system performance.
- Ability to follow written flight-test procedures, work instructions, safety requirements, and acceptance criteria.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
- Strong situational awareness and sound judgment during flight operations.
- Ability to transition between different UAS platforms, configurations, and flight characteristics.
- Ability to accurately document and communicate flight-test results and technical issues.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume production and flight-test environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively in both field and production environments, orally and in writing.
Preferred Experience:
- High Technical school or military technical training preferred.
- College-level education or degree in unmanned systems, aviation, engineering technology, electronics, or a related technical field.
- Prior U.S. Military UAS experience as a Warfighter, operator, maintainer, or other UAS-related specialty.
- Prior experience as a contractor supporting U.S. Military or Department of Defense UAS programs.
- Experience operating Group 1/Class 1 tactical UAS platforms.
- Significant experience with FPV racing, freestyle, tactical FPV, or other high-performance manually controlled UAS.
- Experience conducting production flight testing, acceptance testing, developmental testing, or operational testing.
- Experience building, maintaining, repairing, or troubleshooting FPV or other small UAS platforms.
- Experience supporting Blue UAS, NDAA-compliant, or defense-focused UAS programs.
- Familiarity with military UAS operational environments, mission applications, and flight procedures.
- Experience supporting high-volume UAS manufacturing or production environments.
- Active Secret security clearance preferred.
Why Join Us?
- Contribute to real-world simulator systems and technology.
- Join a team where craftsmanship and precision are valued.
- Work a 4.5-day week (every other Friday off!) in a climate-controlled environment.
- Get hands-on with projects that have a real impact on national and global initiatives.
- Expand your technical skillset and gain IPC certifications (J and 620 standards).
Additional Details:
- Physical requirements include ability to sit, stand, or walk for extended periods of time while conducting outdoor flight-test operations. Must have a willingness to work outdoors in heat, humidity, sun, wind, and other normal environmental conditions. Must possess visual acuity, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity necessary to safely operate, maintain, and troubleshoot FPV UAS and associated controls. Must have the ability to lift, push, and/or pull up to 50lbs unassisted. Must be able to maintain situation awareness during active UAS flight operations.
- Work Environment is both indoors in a climate-controlled manufacturing environment and outdoors in non-climate-controlled setting. May be exposed visual acuity, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity necessary to safely operate, maintain, and troubleshoot FPV UAS and associated controls.
EOE/ADA
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Keywords: Manufacturing, Production, Drone Pilot, Test Pilot, UAS Pilot, UAS Manufacturing, Drone Production, FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification,